This book was a slight disappointment. I so loved the first book which told the story of Cussy Mary and the blue people of Kentucky, and I wanted that same engrossed experience I had originally. While the story line is interesting, the happenings in the book are set up as more suspenseful than they actually turn out to be. There seem to be threats on every side of Honey's life, but many of them fizzle out without much fanfare. She certainly has reason to fear what might happen to her, but some of those fears are only in her mind, assuming how people feel about her.

I did enjoy the way Honey was able to make a life for herself through hard work and perseverance. I also enjoy that her love for reading is actually what leads to her discovering the information she needs to pursue her independence. There are plenty of side characters who contribute to her success, and some compelling stories of people on her book route. But for some reason, it just falls a little flat for me. There was a lot of swearing in this book, and for me, that took away from the feel of the first book's sweet (though difficult) story.

I don't think I'm as invested in Honey as I was the story of Cussy, and I would probably not read another book in this series, even though it seems Honey developed a love interest before the end of the book. I don't feel compelled to follow this story like I did the first book.

I’m looking at a sunny day outside my window but at the same time, my hands are so cold. I am thinking warmth, but the weather isn’t cooperating. I suppose the fact that the grass is brown instead of green is a tell-tale sign that we are not into Spring the way I want us to be. The snow we received the other day was probably another sign but I’m not going to think about that.

I did cheat, which hasn’t helped. I took a week’s vacation. I was warm and in the sun for a week. I have found that I seem to need a break during the winter. I need to get somewhere and feel the warm sun and see color rather than just brown, grey, and white.

Going on vacation does mean that was able to read a lot. I know some might like adventures on vacation. I love warmth and books. I use vacations to make progress on my Goodreads goal for the year. I like having the accountability that Goodreads allows by having a set reading goal for the year. Although I will say that I wonder how many more books I can read than I have been reading. Oh, well, I’ll find out.

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek was published a few years ago. I had heard of it but had never read it. Then I was given an ARC of the sequel, The Book Woman’s Daughter. (You can probably say it with me – I was given an advance copy for my unbiased review.) The first thing I did was go to the library and take out a copy of the first book so that I could read it before I started the sequel. I downloaded the audiobook from the library. I did listen to the first hour or so while I was driving. But here is my issue – and I realize it is my issue – I don’t listen to audiobooks because I don’t know when I could take the time to listen to them. Now, I understand that many listen while they are doing other things like cleaning or gardening. That would involve me making a change from listening to music and I just don’t seem to make that change. So, and you might have guessed it, the book went back to the library before I could finish it.

So, I did what I constantly preach against. I read the sequel without reading the original book. I am not sure if I had absorbed enough from the first book to have an idea of what was going on when I read the second book but I was okay reading the second book without finishing the first book.


The Book Woman’s Daughter tells the story of Honey Lovett. As the book opens, Honey is 16 years old and is living with her parents. But also as the book opens, Honey’s parents are being arrested and imprisoned for miscegenation which is a charge leveled against those who marry outside of their race. Generally, these laws were in the south and applied to a white person marrying a black person. But in Kentucky, there was a family (they moved to Kentucky from France.) that had the blood disorder, methemoglobinemia, which causes the appearance of blue skin. In the uneducated hills of Kentucky, unusual was not good. The ‘blue people” were seen as bad – even so far as to be called the devil. In the case of Honey’s parents, Honey’s mother was blue. Honey also had blue hands and feet. She would wear gloves to hide her condition.

Because Honey was only 16 when her parents went to jail, she was a minor and the state wanted to take her and send her to a work camp until she was 21. Honey’s parents knew this could happen and therefore they tried to send her away before the sheriff came to pick them up. Honey had a hard time leaving them and didn’t hide the way she should have. She was about to be taken into custody when a neighbor stepped up and said that she was his daughter so that the sheriff and social worker wouldn’t take her. She escaped and went to live in a nearby town with an older woman she had known all her life.

Honey’s mother had been a “book woman”. During the depression, with the rough terrain and the way people were separated, many could not make it into town to go to the library. The government paid unmarried women to ride to people’s houses to deliver books and other reading materials. The program had been canceled. Honey’s mother, Cussy had been known for her role as a book woman. Honey had heard all the stories about her mother’s route. (In full disclosure, Cussie was not really Honey’s mother but while that point is brought out, it is not discussed much in this book.)

Honey moves to Troublesome Creek to live with Miss Loretta, who is in her 90s. There is a court hearing and the judge after some hesitancy allows Honey to live with Miss Loretta rather than go to the work camp. While Honey is still facing a lot of prejudice for being a “blue” she starts to settle down. She meets Pearl, who is the new woman fire tower watcher. Pearl and Honey become friends. The people in the town are prejudiced against Honey and some of the men are mad about Pearl getting the fire watcher job. They are upset enough that they damage the fire tower so that she can’t go to work immediately. They both have enemies.

The story goes on to tell about the obstacles faced by Honey over the next year. The poverty and animosity make her life difficult but she overcomes it because she is smart and resourceful. She becomes the new Book Woman as the post receives new funding.

There is no way around it – those were difficult times. Ignorance and lack of what we could consider basic necessities made life hard. It does make for an interesting read. I did find that I could follow the story without having read most of the first book. I think if you wish to go and read the first book, then you should do so but I would say to you that the first book certainly had more violence against women and “blues” than the second book.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it. The book will be published on May 3, 2022.

Thanks to @bookmarked and @netgalley I was able to return to Troublesome Creek in 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝗪𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧'𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 (PUB 05.03) 

I love historical fiction, especially when they introduce me to a little known slice of history. This story takes place in poverty stricken Kentucky in 1953. The main character, Honey Mary Angeline Lovett, is the daughter of Cussy, a Pack Horse Librarian and a Kentucky Blue from 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘞𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘬. A hereditary condition gives her skin a blue hue. I love when a book not only entertains, but educates me as well. 

This book is brimming with strong, resilient female characters who strive to overcome the limitations placed on them based on their gender. The writing preserved the warm tone, rich imagery and vivid history of the original book. The details created a clear image in my mind.

The deeper look at familiar and new characters was heartwarming and original. Once again it sent me searching for more information on the topic. 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
There was some plagiarism controversy surrounding the first book and I think I caught a subtle jab/reference to that in this book.  If you've read it- please DM me. 

FWIW- This could be read as a stand alone, but like so many sequels/companion novels, you may get more out of it if you read the first book prior to this one.

The Book Woman's Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson is a great follow up to The Book Woman (one of my favorite books). This book continues the wonderful story of how library books were brought to people unable to get to the library. Many adventures and close calls happen during this endeavor.

Book Review posted to blog: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend.com/

The Book Woman’s Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson is the story of Honey Mary Angeline Lovett, daughter of Cussy Mary Lovett, the original Book Woman of Troublesome Creek.

The last of the Kentucky Bluets, Honey Lovett has her hard work cut out for her. Still, a teenager, when her parents, Cussy Mary and Jackson get arrested, Honey has to figure out a way to survive on her own and not get sent away to an institution.

Luckily for Honey, she finds a job as a Packhorse Librarian. It’s even the same route as her mamma’s old one and it pays much more than what Cussy used to make all those years ago. Now she just has to fight to stay on her own!

Fighting for emancipation, in addition to fighting cruelty, racism, and sexism, Honey stands on her own and never gives up. Sounds just like someone else we know!

What makes this book so special is not just the message, but the characters themselves. Honey Lovett’s spirit shines through, just like her mothers did. Always going out of her way to help others and fight for what is right. Then there’s Honey’s best friend Pearl, whose kindness and generosity bowled me over.

Beautifully written, this is a worthy sequel to the Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. While I didn’t love it quite as much as the first novel, I enjoyed it quite a lot.
3.6 Stars

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark via NetGalley for the arc.

16 year old Honey’s parents are imprisoned, merely for having a rare gene disorder, which gives them a blueish hue. (I thought the author had imagined this, and was fascinated to read that this is a real disorder, and there really was real prejudice against the ‘Blues’.) Honey flees her home, on her parents’ instructions, to stay with an elderly friend in a neighbouring town and gets a job as a pack horse librarian. When circumstances change, however, Honey faces being sent to a reformatory until she is 21. The Book Woman’s Daughter chronicles her fight to remain free.
This is a fascinating story set in Kentucky in the 1950s. I learnt so much about the remarkable Pack Horse Library Project, blue-skinned Kentuckians, and those brave frontier nurses. I was drawn in by the beautiful descriptions of the countryside and the wonderful characters, notably Honey, the book woman’s daughter, and her new friend, courageous fire lookout, Pearl – and I particularly loved Honey’s mule.
What a wild place and time in which to live – particularly for girls and women - full of ignorance, superstition and prejudice. Life was tough, the world totally dominated by patriarchy. As Honey’s guardian Retta comments: “Sure takes a lot of men to decide one li’l girl’s best interest.” And yet this book is peopled by strong woman, who stand together.
This is an interesting, captivating read.

The Book Woman's Daughter is highly anticipated sequel from Kim Michele Richardson. This story follows Honey, daughter of Cussy on her own adventure. Honey soon finds herself without parents for the second time in her life as Cussy and Jackson are incarcerated due to miscegenation laws in Kentucky. Honey is supposed to be placed in a reform home but fought to end up with Retta. Honey then is faced with another hurdle when Retta passes away. Honey is able to start working through the library as an outreach assistant, following her Mama's old routes. Through many more obstacles Honey is able to win emancipation through her dedication to books and literacy.

Richardson is a skilled author and brings her characters to life. A fantastic follow up to the original.

Thank you to Netgalley for they ARC.

I absolutely adored Kim Michele Richardson's book "The Book wWoman of Troublesome Creek", and I really liked this sequel "The Book Woman's Daughter" and the topics it raised, such as Honey's emancipation trial. However, I felt that the story stalled in some places, and I wouldn't recommend reading this book as a stand alone story.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this ARC.

The Book Woman's Daughter
by Kim Michele Richardson
Pub Date: May 3, 2022
Sourcebooks Landmark
Thanks to the author, Sourcebooks Landmark, and NetGalley for this ARC. Having just finished the Book Woman with my book club I was very excited to have received the digital copy of this book!
In the ruggedness of the beautiful Kentucky mountains, Honey Lovett has always known that the old ways can make a hard life harder. As the daughter of the famed blue-skinned, Troublesome Creek packhorse librarian, Honey, and her family have been hiding from the law all her life. But when her mother and father are imprisoned, Honey realizes she must fight to stay free, or risk being sent away for good.
This story is told with compassion for the Blue people who suffered prejudice, for the women who were mistreated and abused. An amazing sense of place and time is reflected in this realistically portrayed and well-researched story of 1950s Kentucky. I highly recommend this book and hope the author writes the third book as well. 5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for letting me read the book.
I thought it was great. It was like visiting old friends when they talked about her parents. I loved the new characters and the setting.

Fantastic sequel to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek! However, you do not have to have read the first book to read this one. You get an amazing look at the prejudices of rural Kentucky in the 1950's not just against people of another race, but against women. Also, how much power there is in knowledge and you gain knowledge by reading! Just fantastic!

Honey is the Book Woman's daughter and an avid reader. When her parents are separated from her she must look out for herself in a world ran by men. Along the way she makes both friends and enemies, but holds true to the promise that books can change the world.

If you loved Cussy in the first book, then you are certainly going to love her daughter, Honey in this book. The story grabbed me from the beginning and kept me wanting more throughout...

Many thanks to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark, Sourcebooks Landmark for this advanced readers copy. This book is scheduled for release on May 3, 2022.

The Book Woman’s Daughter is a delightful sequel to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. Her parents are arrested for violating miscegenation laws and 16-year-old Honey does her best to avoid being taken into custody by Social Services as a minor without a guardian. She may be living on her own but she has a stalwart support network, including some strong women in non-traditional occupations. There’s her friend, Pearl, a fire-tower watcher and Bonnie, a widow who works in the mine. Her attorney, Mr. Morgan represents Honey in court, and Doc who acts as an intermediary between Honey and her mother in prison. Amara, R.C. and Devil John are solidly in Honey’s corner, as is Alonzo. Not to be discounted, Junia, Honey’s mule, and Tommie, Wrenna’s rooster, have important roles to play in this story. There’s a large cast of characters, including several “villains.” And through it all, there’s Honey’s love of books and her job as a distributer of books as part of the local library’s outreach program. I found myself rooting for Honey throughout. The Book Woman’s Daughter is an uplifting story.

I had read the first boo,k, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek and loved it. I knew nothing about the blue people of Kentucky or about the pack horse librarians.
This is a continuation with the daughter Honey. after her parents are jailed.. A young girl trying to keep herself out a work house environment. She first has a guardian but then finds herself alone but she never gives up. Eventually becoming a pack horse librarian like her mother and facing the same ordeals. Of course she overcomes and triumphed..
I feel this could be a stand alone but I was glad I still read the first one. I enjoyed reading both of them. Thank you to NetGallery for this ARC edition.

A sad yet lovely novel covering the good and the horrible of several months in the life of Honey, a Kentucky blue. At sixteen Honey’s parents are torn away from her and sent to prison. Honey bravely and honorably begins to forge a life as a book woman delivering books to the inhabitants of the Kentucky hills. She is one step away from being sent to reform school, being killed by an angry coal miner, and, magically, falling in love.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Book Woman daughter .
This is about Honey how she continued her mothers legacy and how she overcame many challenges.
Very information, enlighten about life in Kentucky for women in the early fifth's
Good engrossing story.
Voluntarily reviewed.

I was excited to read this as a big fan of Kim Michele Richardson and The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. And this sequel more than lived up to my high hopes; it was excellent! So beautifully and emotionally written, these books feel less like reading and more like living the story with these characters. I loved Cussy Mary in the first book, and I love her daughter, Honey Mary Angeline, in this one. Through a series of sad and scary circumstances, Honey becomes a pack-horse librarian just like her mom had once been. Honey and Cussy Mary are "blues." The blue people of Kentucky were a small group of people who had a rare genetic blood condition that caused methemoglobin levels in the red blood cells to rise and gave their skin a blue hue. These individuals were treated utterly heartbreakingly, and reading about it is very emotional. But ultimately, this is a hopeful book about brave, compassionate, and resilient women and the power of female camaraderie when things were so difficult for women. I adored Honey and rooted for her every step of the way. And love or loathe them, the secondary characters in this book are so strikingly rendered and vividly portrayed. Richardson describes the rugged beauty of the Appalachian Mountains and the folks who live there in such a way they feel real but keeps the action and story moving at a pace that makes the book very hard to put down. Bibliophiles will love the exploration of the power and importance of books and literacy that plays prominently in the story. While you can read this as a stand-alone, I am glad I read both books in this haunting and superbly written series. I cannot recommend it highly enough! I will post my review on Instagram closer to the publication. Sincere thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC.

The Book Woman’s Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson is a stand alone sequel to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. The sequel is as good as the first book, with Richardson weaving a great plot with societal issues of the mid- 1900’s. Along with some descriptions of Appalachia and its mining community, the story follows Honey Lovitt as she begins her own book woman career after her parents have been remanded to prison for getting married. The marriage of a “blue” was illegal. Being blue is caused by a medical anomaly called methemoglobinemia which decreases the amount of oxygen in the blood, making one’s skin appear blue. Historically, blues were forced to hide in the mountains to avoid persecution or harm. Richardson does a great job educating, while her plot keeps us enthralled. If you enjoyed Richardson’s first book, you will undoubtably love this sequel.

Thank you Netgalley for the free ARC in return for an honest review.

The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek was a gem and I frequently recommend it through reader's advisory. This sequel, however, was hard to get into. Cussy was an intriguing character, but Honey's story riding on Cuddy's coattails wasn't particularly interesting.